Whether you’re a shopaholic, a workaholic, a K-Pop fanatic, a foodie, a filmmaker, or just plain superstitious: 2012 is a good year to be here. 

Don’t blame us if you want to stay forever.

2012, the year the world supposedly ends. All the more reason to visit Korea — the Land of Morning Calm — to soothe your terror before the world is destroyed by a meteorite.

And 2012 is also the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese zodiac. And not only that, but it’s also the Year of the Black Dragon, which only comes once around every 60 years.

But there’s more than cool East Asian symbolism to make 2012 a great year for visiting Korea.

There are 12 reasons, listed below:

1. It’s Visit Korea Year

2. Korea Grand Sale

3. Hallyu Madness

2012 is looking to be a good year for K-Pop.

 If you’re a devoted follower, you might already know that there are several big comebacks in the works, like an upcoming Big Bang concert, or Se7en‘s new album. You might also know that 2NE1 will be releasing their collaborations with will.i.am.

But if all this is hard to remember, you can just remember one: the 21st Seoul Music Awards, which will be held on January 19, 2012, at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, which will be the K-Pop event of the next year.

And it just so happens that the date of the awards ceremony coincides with the period of the Korea Grand Sale. Coincidence? Or clever maneuvering on the part of the Visit Korea Committee? Doesn’t matter; saw Big Bang!

Also keep your eyes peeled and your limbs oiled for the 2012 take on last year’s K-Pop Cover Dance Festival. If you think you have the moves, you can even enter the competition and submit a video of yourself dancing to a designated K-Pop song. Otherwise, it’s a good chance to gawk at startlingly on-the-spot K-Pop impersonators.

“Last year we had 2PM as judges,” says Yoon Heejin of the Visit Korea Committee’s Public Relations Department.

“They were astonished at how accurate some of the contestants’ impersonations were. For example, a team that danced to Girls’ Generation also managed to capture the individual characteristics of each member, down to the outfits, the hair, and the roles.”

Finally, the Hallyu Dream Festival, held in Gyeong-ju, historical capital of ancient Korean kingdom Silla (like the Shilla Hotel), combines K-Pop shows with historical “experiences” for a quasi-music, quasi-film, quasi-history fair festival that acknowledges K-Pop’s less famous but equally worthy brother, the K-Drama. More specifically, the period K-Drama.

Fans of Silla-era period drama “Queen Seondeok,” for example, will appreciate that they can explore on foot the former set of the drama, and perhaps even the former setting of the actual events, minus K-Drama’s tendency towards heavy fictionalization.

4. The IFC fulfills its destiny

5. Celebrating food: Almost as good as food itself

6. The 2012 Expo in Yeosu

7. Because it’s not just about Seoul this year

8. Olleh Smartphone Film Festival

9. Seoul International Marathon

10. Even better beds: Koreastay, Goodstay and Hanok Homestay

11. Work and play

12. A world of music

Source: CNNGO

Click the link to learn more about the 11 other reasons. Wait for us, Jinyongie~ We’re coming to Korea! ^_^